Thanks to one of my tea ceremony lesson classmates, I can show you an annotated picture of me practicing tea ceremony. I should note that even within our one tea school, Urasenke, there are many different forms of tea ceremony, specialized for summer or winter, thin tea or thick tea, portability or not, and other situations.
Speaking of tea, I bought three different kinds of tea this weekend (for varying definitions of "tea"):
- pu-erh from Ten Ren: I haven't yet brewed it, but it smells much less pungent than the pu-erh I bought from Ching Ching CHA a while ago; I didn't get a clear answer on how long this batch was aged
- barley "tea" (mugicha): an infusion I've never had before but am curious to taste
- a kelp "tea" (konbucha) with plum flavoring: I probably wouldn't have tried this if I'd known beforehand what it was, but it turned out I like the comforting, savory, broth-like flavor; this stuff was not easy to find
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bokunenjin- Katie
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Comments
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Pu'er tea...eurgh. I always thought it tasted like water strained through an old gym sock. But that's just me. ;)
the pu-ehr that i've had is usually really earthy and bitter tasting; it's not my favorite flavor for drinking among the many chinese teas, but it's really really good to cook with....you can use it the same way you might use soup stock or bay leaves. i've had a lot of success cooking with tea leaves to infuse meat with lots of different yummy flavors. i can't seem to get away from jasmine tea for a basic chinese black tea; i love how aromatic it is and it seems to be the most wonderful thing on a cold day huddled around a table with friends to make conversation.
that said, i couldn't live without mugicha. it is a summertime staple in our house. i brew cold tea out of it on a daily basis...sometimes twice a day. it has a very musky flavor with some natural sweetness to it. it may be strange the first time you try it; i think it's an acquired taste. i don't enjoy mugicha nearly as much when it's warm. the flavor is even more intense then and for me a little overpowering.
i've never had konbucha but it sounds really tasty! i'll have to keep my eye out for that when i'm at mitsuwa.
also, my friend yuki sent me some tea leaves for the new year and after trying both sets of them, they're really, really good! i have to share this brand with you, but i don't know if they sell online or anything - i haven't looked. the company name is "Lupicia." the leaves are mixed with other things like flowers, beans, maccha, rice, etc...depending on what flavor you order. i was sent one cannister of "matcha black soybean rice tea" which is described as being a sort of genmaicha combining: sencha, roasted rice, matcha, and black beans. it's excellent! thar hates it though because he can't stand genmaicha and it definitely has a genmaicha aroma/flavor to it.
the second one is called "bravissimo" which doesn't have an english description on the front but from the japanese ingredient list on the back appears to be: sencha, marigolds, rose hips, cornflower, another type of tea i can't read, and one other ingredient that i can't read. i'm not usually into flower/fruit teas, but as soon as this started steeping, both thar and i were looking forward to tasting it. it's strangely become my favorite of the two.
I may save the mugicha for summertime iced tea; the filter bags it came in turn out to be much bigger than I'd use for a single cup.
It loooks like Lupicia does sell their stuff online. (Whether they'd ship overseas is another question…)
I have to say, I'm with
as for genmaicha, i wonder if it's something that most people don't like? i only really know how thar and you feel about it. i personally love it, but i really wonder how much my original tastes have changed since i've politely been accepting food and drink at my japanese friends' houses (even when i don't like it). it's funny how i'll find myself craving things i initially despised (like ume-boshi).
Grats on the launch :)
-- Seele
Teaism has three locations in DC; they combine a tea shop with a restaurant that has lots of tea selections available along with food that goes with tea. If only there was one closer to where I live, I'd be there every week if not every day.
I like Ching Ching CHA in Georgetown, particularly their pu-erh and their low tables with pillows.
If you're near Columbia, Teavana in the mall is a must-see, er, must-drink. :) Their teaware is just gorgeous, too.
Ten Ren has locations in College Park and Rockville. They serve bubble tea along with "traditional" teas.
It's amazeing how the internet makes the world we live in so... small.
Contact address for further info
ts AT dadlnet DOT dk
I was reading that you had a hard time finding
Ume Konbu Cha - I just wanted to let you know that you can find it at my online Sushi and Japanese Market, come by and visit us sometime ..:)
http://sushiandjapanesemarket.com
Thanks,
Georgia Howell
Sushi and Japanese Market